Another Boeing mishap: Aircraft loses a wheel after take-off
United Airlines announced on Monday (local time) that the lost wheel was found in Los Angeles. "We are investigating the cause of the incident." There were no injuries among the 174 passengers and seven crew members. The plane was delivered to the airline by Boeing in 1994 and has not been in production since 2004.
This is the second time in a few months that a Boeing plane from United Airlines has lost a wheel. In March, a 777-aircraft lost a wheel shortly after takeoff in San Francisco, and the pilot decided on an emergency landing.
Boeing has been under intense pressure due to allegations of safety issues on its aircraft for some time. A notable incident occurred in January when a 737 MAX 9 from Alaska Airlines experienced an in-flight cabin door separation, requiring an emergency landing. The FAA then limited the production of the 737 MAX to 38 per month, bringing it back to 2023 levels.
Due to potential issues with oxygen supply in emergency situations, airlines must now inspect the oxygen generators in their 737 aircraft within 120 to 150 days to ensure they are correctly installed, as the FAA announced on Monday. Affected aircraft include both older and newer generations.
Oxygen generators are connected to masks via hoses that fall from the ceiling above passenger seats when rapid cabin pressure drops. Generators and masks are located in PSUs (Passenger Service Units) below the overhead bins. These service units also include ventilation, lighting, and speakers.
The FAA reportedly received indications that oxygen generators in some planes have slid due to poor mounting. The agency advised airlines to "take corrective action as necessary." However, the FAA did not issue an immediate flight ban for the affected planes. Boeing initially had no comment on the potential oxygen issue.
In addition to technical issues, reports from sources about production and quality control problems have added to the pressure. Dave Calhoun, the outgoing Boeing CEO, pledged in June during a Senate hearing for improvements in safety standards.
- United Airlines expressed gratitude on Monday for the discovery of the lost wheel in Los Angeles, which belonged to the Boeing airplane that had served them since 1994.
- The incident involving the Boeing plane from United Airlines, where a wheel came off during flight, had a striking resemblance to an earlier incident in San Francisco, involving a 777 aircraft.
- Renewed scrutiny has fallen on Boeing following another incident, this time in Los Angeles, where a wheel on a United Airlines aircraft needed to be replaced mid-flight.
- After the wheel broke off during takeoff in Los Angeles, the Boeing airplane, operated by United Airlines, made a safe landing without any reported injuries to the 174 passengers and seven crew members.
- The San Francisco incident, in which a Boeing plane from United Airlines suffered a wheel malfunction shortly after takeoff, led to an emergency landing and was one of the incidents placing pressure on Boeing.
- The FAA recently advised airlines to inspect the oxygen generators in their Boeing airplanes, which have been linked to potential issues in some planes, following indications of poor mounting in some aircraft.
